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☆ Rowdy Republicans yell and taunt Biden during his State of the Union after McCarthy warned them to behave
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McCarthy previously said that Republicans would behave during the address. Biden's comments on a range of issues — everything from the national debt to fentanyl overdoses — prompted boos and loud yelling from Republicans. The president appeared to be largely unfazed by the GOP's unorthodox behavior, at times directly responding to their jeers. Biden ultimately got Republicans to stand up and applaud in support of both programs, and declared there was "unanimity" on the matter. The raucous behavior of a number of congressional Republicans came after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy insisted that members of his caucus behave during the address.

☆ China has a global spy balloon operation collecting intel on other countries' militaries, including 'strategic bases' in the US, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The downed Chinese surveillance balloon is part of a global network, US officials say. This is what we assess is part of a larger Chinese surveillance balloon program," Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Ryder said the purpose of the Chinese surveillance balloons was to study "strategic sites," including "strategic bases" in the continental US. The Chinese balloon program has gathered information on military assets belonging to the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, India, and Taiwan, the Washington Post reported. It was not immediately clear when, exactly, previous balloons in other regions were determined to be Chinese surveillance devices.

☆ China Refused U.S. Call After Downing of Suspected Spy Balloon, Pentagon Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—China’s defense minister rejected a request from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to speak immediately after the U.S. downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon, the Pentagon said, indicating how the episode has further inflamed the powers’ fraught relations. The Defense Department submitted the request for Mr. Austin to speak over a secure line with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe after the Air Force shot down the balloon Saturday, said Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Tuesday.

☆ UK PM Sunak expected to launch reshuffle to better suit his priorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to launch a mini reshuffle on Tuesday, breaking up two departments to better suit his pledge to spur the economy and turn around his party's fortunes before an election expected next year. Sources confirmed reports from the Sun and the Times newspapers late on Monday that there were plans to break up the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)and the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). He was also expected to name the new chair of the party, a position made ever more important before the next national election expected in 2024, after Nadhim Zahawi was sacked over his tax affairs. He has so far failed to reduce the commanding lead in the opinion polls held by the opposition Labour Party, which is increasingly presenting itself as Britain's next government. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Sinead Cruise; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Photos capture the moment US Navy sailors pulled the downed Chinese balloon out of the ocean
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Newly released photos show US sailors pulling a downed Chinese spy balloon out of the ocean. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. It then traveled southeast across the continental US before it was downed off the Coast of South Carolina. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023.

☆ Former UK PM Liz Truss is blaming the left-wing 'economic establishment' for ousting her
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

British Prime Minister Liz Truss announces her resignation, outside Number 10 Downing Street, London, Britain October 20, 2022. Henry Nicholls | ReutersLONDON — Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss is blaming a "powerful economic establishment" for bringing her chaotic 44-day tenure to an end last year. Truss was elected leader of the Conservative Party in September, defeating her eventual successor Rishi Sunak, after garnering 81,326 votes from party members following the ousting of Boris Johnson. She was acting as if winning a majority of the Conservative Party membership gave her economic credibility, and it most clearly doesn't." Current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government vowed to restore this credibility upon taking over in October, and quickly reversed Truss' entire economic agenda.

☆ A close read of Beijing's official statement shows it doesn't think the US violated international law by shooting down its balloon, says a legal expert who studies China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China didn't accuse the US of violating international law when the Pentagon shot down its balloon. China has aggressively accused the US of breaking international law many times in the past. In the past, Beijing has accused the US of breaking international law even for actions like imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials. "It contravenes international law and basic norms governing international relations and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs. In July, Wang similarly said that Hague Tribunal rulings in support of Philippine claims over the South China Sea "seriously" violated international law.

☆ Britain’s NHS was once idolized. Now its worst-ever crisis is fueling a boom in private health care
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Private hospital groups flourishTo keep up with growing demand for their services, private health care providers are expanding at a rapid clip. CEO Justin Ash estimates that the market for private health care in the United Kingdom has doubled since before the pandemic to 15 million people. Ash said that appetite for private health care spans a much broader set of ages and incomes than in the past. “We’ve clearly moved into a world in which we’re all NHS patients but have episodes of private care,” he said. There is no universal health care in America and most people have private health insurance because health care is very expensive.

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/following-u-s-downing-of-suspected-spy-balloon-beijing-signals-desire-to-move-on-11675605563

☆ The stealth F-22, the top US air superiority fighter, just got its first known air-to-air kill taking out a Chinese balloon.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The F-22 secured its first air-to-air kill by downing the Chinese surveillance balloon on Saturday. The Raptor fired "one AIM-9X Sidewinder missile," bringing the balloon down off the South Carolina coast. "This was a PRC surveillance balloon. The F-22 fired the missile at an altitude of 58,000 feet while the surveillance balloon was between 60,000 and 65,000 feet, per the DOD. "F-15 Eagles flying from Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, supported the F-22, as did tankers from multiple states," the Defense Department stated in its release.

☆ Republicans criticize Biden for waiting to shoot down Chinese balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Schumer said downing the balloon into the ocean likely enables U.S. intelligence officials to examine its remnants. The Pentagon will brief senators on the balloon and Chinese surveillance on Feb. 15, Schumer said. Trump on Sunday disputed Austin's statement that Chinese government surveillance balloons had transited the continental United States briefly three times during his presidency. Speaking on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" show, Trump's former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe also denied such balloon incidents.

☆ UK's shortest-serving PM Liz Truss blames economic 'orthodoxy' for downfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Former British prime minister Liz Truss blamed on Sunday the economic "orthodoxy" in the country's finance ministry, other nations and in parts of the governing Conservative Party for derailing her premiership and "plan for growth". But she was not successful, she wrote, because she had underestimated "the blob of vested interests" and orthodoxy. "As I had spelled out during the leadership campaign, I wanted to go for growth ... But this was not in line with the instinctive views of the Treasury (finance ministry) or the wider orthodox economic ecosystem." Grant Shapps, business minister, said everyone wanted lower taxes but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government had to focus on reducing debt, bringing down inflation and boosting growth first.

☆ GOP Rep. Mike Turner said Biden admin lacked 'urgency' in addressing Chinese balloon, which 'completed its mission'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP House Intel Chair Mike Turner said the Biden admin "lacks urgency" following the balloon incident. The Chinese surveillance balloon "completed its mission" in observing US military sites, Turner said. Clearly, this was an attempt by China to gather information to defeat our command and control of our sensitive missile offensive nuclear weapons sites. Turner joins a legion of Republicans blaming Biden for the balloon gaining access to US airspace and remaining there for several days. "The president allowed this to go across our most sensitive sites and wasn't even going to tell the American public.

☆ A Swedish-made fighter jet could tip the scales against Russia in Ukraine, but it might not get there any time soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Ukraine's air force remains in the fight almost a year after Russia's shambolic invasion. Sooner or later, Ukraine must induct new jet fighters into service — and they sure aren't buying them from Russia. JAS-39 Gripen: background and capabilitiesA Swedish JAS 39 Gripen at Bobo, Norway in October 2018. A Hungarian Air Force JAS-39 Gripen in August 2010. JAS-39 Gripen vs. F-16A US Air Force F-16 takes off from Aviano Air Base in Italy in June 2020.

WASHINGTON– U.S. fighter planes shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, days after it was spotted crossing the U.S. and leading to renewed tensions with Beijing. The downing took place off the Southeast coast on Saturday afternoon, U.S. officials said. Updates to follow as news develops. Write to Michael R. Gordon at michael.gordon@wsj.com, Nancy A. Youssef at nancy.youssef@wsj.com and Doug Cameron at Doug.Cameron@wsj.com

☆ Shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon could be a lot harder than it sounds, former Navy pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Shooting down the suspected Chinese spy balloon is harder than it seems, a former Navy pilot told Insider. The military said there were also concerns that shooting the balloon down could result in safety risks from falling debris. Still, some have urged that the Chinese balloon be shot down, despite the risks. Yu said that the US has the "capability" to shoot down the balloon, but doesn't have "the will." The Pentagon, however, has insisted it is a surveillance balloon, but there are no immediate plans to shoot it down.

☆ Britain hit by biggest strike in more than a decade with schools shut and rail networks disrupted
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Such widespread strike action has not taken place since a dispute over public sector pay in 2011, when more than a million workers are estimated to have taken industrial action. watch nowDemands vary by union but include inflation-beating pay rises, including to redress historic real-terms pay falls; pensions reform; and no cuts in redundancy terms. Postal workers have also been on strike, and firefighters have voted for future strike action. Average pay excluding bonuses rose by 2.7% in the public sector between August and October, as inflation rose above 10%. That compared with a 6.9% pay increase in the private sector, according to national statistics.

Downing Street referred requests for comment to the business ministry, which oversees Companies House, Britain’s public registry of companies. And, in most cases, if foreign companies purchased the property before 1999 or hold UK property in a trust they don’t need to publicly disclose the beneficial owners. The Cyprus-based company, A. Corp Trustee Limited, wasn’t listed on Britain’s new property register as of Tuesday morning. A listing on the UK’s new property register for Hanley Limited identifies the beneficial owner as a Swiss company called Pomerol Capital Sa. Ravellot also wasn’t on the new property register.

☆ 'I acted pretty decisively', says UK's Sunak after sacking party chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday he had acted "pretty decisively" by sacking Conservative Party chair Nadhim Zahawi over his personal tax affairs, moving to quell criticism that he had acted too slowly. He said he had moved quickly to sack Zahawi, who was briefly finance minister last year under former prime minister Boris Johnson, when his independent adviser ruled that the party chair had broken the rules guiding the behaviour of ministers. The opposition Labour Party has described Sunak as being too weak to deal with his party, which ousted two prime ministers last year over scandal and economic chaos. Sunak now faces a challenge to appoint a new chair to the Conservative Party, a position made ever more important before an election widely expected next year. Late last year, Gavin Williamson resigned from Sunak's cabinet team of top ministers over bullying allegations, while Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab is under investigation on bullying charges.

☆ Nick Clegg led Meta's decision to reinstate Trump to Facebook and Instagram. Here's how the former UK deputy prime minister charmed his way into Mark Zuckerberg's inner circle.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Philip Webster | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Nick Clegg has risen quickly to become one of Mark Zuckerberg's closest confidants at Meta. Clegg, a former UK deputy prime minister, led the decision to reinstate Donald Trump to Facebook. It was updated on February 16, 2022 following the news that Nick Clegg had been promoted to the role of President for Global Affairs. In a challenging economic climate, the Lib Dems and their Conservative coalition partners voted to raise tuition fees. Nick Clegg (left) and Chris Huhne appearing on the BBC's "The Andrew Marr Show" in October 2007.

☆ Lehecka high on belief after Australian Open heroics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I didn't expect that," world number 71 Lehecka, who made his breakthrough last year by reaching the Rotterdam semi-finals as a qualifier, told reporters. Hopefully we'll go one more step, step after step. "To be in those moments and be cool under pressure, play well the right points, serve well to close the match, it's a good sign of a good player," Auger-Aliassime said. "Yeah, I'm sure for those reasons he'll be a good player in the future." Up next for Lehecka is a potential meeting with third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, his conqueror in the Rotterdam semi-finals, if the Greek gets past Jannik Sinner.

☆ Police fine U.K. PM Rishi Sunak for failing to wear a seatbelt in Instagram video
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was fined by police Friday, for failing to wear a seatbelt whilst filming a clip for social media in a moving vehicle. It is also the second fixed penalty notice Sunak has received in less a year. His lack of seatbelt was quickly spotted by eagle-eyed viewers and Lancashire Constabulary said Friday it was fining Sunak. A spokesperson for Sunak described this as a “a brief error of judgment,” according to Reuters. “Of course it shouldn’t have happened,” Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told British broadcaster Sky News Saturday.

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - British police fined Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday for travelling in the back seat of a car without wearing his seat belt while filming a social media clip, a potentially embarrassing blow as he tries to revive his party's fortunes. Sunak, who apologised on Thursday for a "brief error of judgement", filmed a video in the back seat of his car while travelling in the north of England, without wearing a seat belt. "The prime minister fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised. It is the second penalty Sunak has received from police after last year they found he broke COVID-19 lockdown rules, along with then-prime minister Boris Johnson. Sunak becomes the second prime minister after Johnson to have been fined in such a manner.

[1/2] Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech on his last day in office, outside Downing Street, in London Britain September 6, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKayDAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday urged allies to double down on sending military equipment to support Ukraine and speed up an end to the war with Russia. The former mayor of London was made an honorary citizen of Ukraine's capital on Wednesday night by Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko in Davos. 'HUMBLE BACKBENCHER'Johnson dismissed suggestions that his activism on Ukraine could be seen as undermining current British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, as he ramps up military support. When asked whether one day he could see himself wandering the WEF again as British Prime Minister, Johnson remained diplomatic saying he was more than happy representing his constituents as a member of parliament.

☆ Davos 2023: Russian bombing puts Kyiv's utilities under critical strain -Klitschko
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir told Reuters that Ukraine's Western allies had to speed up deliveries of air defence systems capable of downing Russian missiles. Kyiv has accused Moscow of indiscriminately targeting civilians as well as key infrastructure, threatening the winter supply of electricity, running water and central heating. We are fighting to survive," he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos. Former world heavyweight boxing champions Vitali and Wladimir are part of a broader high-level business and political Ukrainian delegation attending the WEF summit. ($1 = 0.9248 euros)Reporting by John Irish and Mark John; additional reporting Ardee NapolitanoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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